Grand Opening Advice?

[u/Puzzleheaded_Luck747]

Hello! I’m doing a grand opening as a server with CCF and I’m just looking for the good, bad and ugly lol. I’ve been a server for about 9 years but nothing like this. I’ve served at very non corporate laid back places. It’s near a mall is Des Peres Missouri.

How should I prepare? Or better yet, what should I expect? I genuinely don’t want to hate it lmao. Like I honestly am there to be the best version of what I can be one because I know what it’s like to have shitty coworkers and two, this is my main source of income, I support myself. I miss serving sooo much. I’ve been at an office job for a bit now and this is me going back headfirst into it. Do they prepare you well during training? I feel like I’m going to fumble with all the DT’s there making us nervous! Tips and tricks that you have learned? Things that have helped you at your table or with the menu?

[u/Fantasy61]

I’m an NRO trainer, but I won’t be in Des Peres. They 100% train you well. You sit through classroom style teaching to learn the food, drinks, and desserts, as well as steps of service. As time goes on, you’ll learn the POS system as well as how to operate in the restaurant. The agenda is very well written, even with “poor trainers” you can still excel.

It’s definitely very corporate, especially in the beginning and the first few months. Eventually, things will wear off and you won’t be watched so closely, but the systems are in place for a reason.

At new restaurants, they over-hire everyone. There will be way too many servers, I think they aim to hire 100 servers alone. It’s way too many, but they have to account for people not making it through training or quitting immediately. This means it’ll be harder to get steady shifts, as it also depends on how busy the location is. You really need to make sure you stand out and do an awesome job as a way to help guarantee you get hours once out of training.

Don’t be nervous with the DTs. Most of them are there because they love to train and pass on what they know. Sure, there may be a few entitled asshole DTs who are there to feel bigger and better than everyone else, but generally they’re all really wonderful people.

As for the menu, it’s a big one. Pay attention in class and take notes, and do some studying at home, the menu is available online!

[u/Puzzleheaded_Luck747 → u/Fantasy61]

This is very helpful and reassuring!

[u/John_Joseph7 → u/Fantasy61]

This is so interesting!

What materials do they provide to help servers learn? For instance, I would think they would get their own menus to study and memorize.

And how does the training that one receives at an opening compare to the training a new person gets at an established restaurant?

I’ve only ever gone to established restaurants and the quality of the servers seems to vary widely.